A Minor Incident
by an-obscure-flaw
Summary: AxelRoxas. A college kid and a cab driver. An unlikely duo, but then, isn't life full of surprises?
1. When I met you I was just a kid

**A Minor Incident**  
_anobscureflaw_

Chapter 1  
_When I met you I was just a kid_

- - -

My life has been set in stone ever since I can remember. I do everything I'm told without a second thought, I never fail, I never disappoint anybody. When I was five, I was the kid fingerpainting Picasso replicas in the back of the classroom while the other mongrels were busy throwing the paints at each other. In high school, I stayed home on Friday nights studying instead of going out and playing beer pong in some jock's backyard.

Not that I was ever invited.

Nevertheless, I was expected to go to college, get a job, maybe have a steady girlfriend or even wife by the end of it all. At least that was the plan.

Until I met Axel.

And everything changed.

- - -

I felt a bit out of place in the nightclub, to be honest. I've never really been one for crowds, and the mass amount of people coupled with the loud music and booze was a bit overwhelming. And then there were the gyrating, half dressed girls and the guys around them, all trying to get lucky.

What hormones will do to people.

I had originally tried to stay home, but I was attacked - in my _boxers_, no less - by Sora and Riku, who barged into my room and dragged me into some clothes. After a few protests, shot down with a "You can't stay home reading about medical shit on your eighteenth birthday!", I found myself being shoved into a taxi and next thing I knew, in Destiny Island's hottest new nightclub.

Then I was sitting at the bar, still feeling like a fish out of water.

I think it's funny that they say that your eighteenth birthday is supposed to be of the best, if not _the_ best birthday that a person will have. It's supposed to be the birthday of porn and cigarettes, the birthday of legal clubbing. Even though most people have been doing those kinds of things since they were thirteen.

At least, most people. Me, I'm more excited at finally being able to vote.

Which is probably why I'm at the bar, elbows on the edge, instead of out on the floor dancing with all of the other kids my age.

I sighed loudly, which caught the attention of the bartender.

"What can I get for you, sweetie?" She asks me in a saccharine coated voice.

"Hm? Oh, um, I'm not old enough to drink yet." I respond, glancing at the shelves of liquor behind her. She laughed, all high pitched and obnoxious.

"Neither are half the people in here, truth be told. No one's gonna tell. So what would you like?"

"I guess a water." I said, playing with the edge of the peanut bowl. I'm hungry, and I'd have taken some peanuts, if not for the fact that I have no idea who's touched them before and just _where_ their hands have been.

"...You're seriously going to just have water?"

This is ridiculous, I decide. Without even responding, I stand up and reach to grab my keys out of my back pocket, but then remember that I didn't drive here. So then I make my way through the crowds, looking for any silver hair - it's the most distinguishable, and where Riku is, Sora is - but don't spot any. When I finally get to the door, I pause, and consider looking around some more, before deciding - fuck it.

Outside the club were the drunk girls trying to hail a taxi, addresses written on their hands because they knew they'd be too smashed to remember. And then there were the sleazy guys around them, asking them if they need a ride home.

I was disgusted. Why Riku and Sora like this sort of thing, why they're even _friends_ with me, continues to be a question that lurks in my mind. Pushing the question back, I pulled out my cell phone and glance at the time. 11:03. So I was only there for an hour? Pathetic.

I push speed dial #3 and it rings twice.

"...Hello?"

"Hey, Namine... listen, are you busy?"

"I've got plans, but they can wait. Why?"

"Well... I'm kind of stuck downtown. I was dragged to that new nightclub, and I really want to leave, only I don't have a car, and there are pretty much no taxis, and--"

"Roxas. Relax. I'll be there in ten minutes."

I sighed in relief. "Namine, you're a lifesaver."

She laughed a pretty little laugh, the complete opposite of the bartender I was talking to just minutes ago.

"I know. See you in ten."

"Bye."

The phone clicked off, and I put it back in my pocket. Namine was always there for me when I needed her. Both born and raised right here on the islands, we grew up together, although it wasn't until the middle of our senior year of high school that we started dating.

Six months later, both going to college at Destiny University, and we're still going strong. Sora and Riku always make fun of me for being in a serious relationship even though I'm so young, but I'm happy with it. We get along great, not to mention she's quite attractive, all blonde hair and long legs.

I must have been thinking longer than I thought, because next thing I knew, Namine had pulled up to the curb in her parents car. I walked around the crowds lingering outside the doors and hopped inside.

"I can see why you'd want to leave." Namine said with a disgusted look towards the girls. "I don't get why people disrespect themselves like that..."

"Thanks for picking me up." I said and pecked her on the cheek. "So what are the plans you have for tonight?"

"Well, there's a midnight exhibit at the art museum on the Southside. I figured I'd check it out for a bit... Kairi bailed on me though, so I don't know if I'll go anymore."

"I'll go with you if you want," I offered, even though art museums aren't really my thing. But Namine loves anything to do with art, as it's what she's majoring in at DI. And she did pick me up, so I figured that I owe it to her.

She brightened instantly. "Really? I was going to go alone, but it's not the same... I like discussing it, you know? And even though you're not all that into art, it's better than having nobody."

I laughed to myself. Only Namine could get that excited about a _museum_. "Sounds good."

Ten minutes later we had parked and were walking up the steps to the museum. I actually never knew it existed, to be honest. It was a small one, and on a side of town that not many people go to. As I climbed the steps, I wasn't really expecting much. Just a few art nerds like Namine walking around, looking at paintings and sculptures and the like, all introspective and 'digging deep into the creative mindset.'

Really, I just think that's an excuse to pile a bunch of shit together and call it art.

Anyways, this is the part where I walk through the doors and am completely surprised by what I see.

But I'm not, not at all. It's not one of those galas held at the metropolitan where all of the fancy schmancy rich people show up to buy paintings they don't even like just so that they look good to their upper class society, because the money goes to charity, and they can get their name in the local magazine. Instead, it's exactly what I expected, right down to the girl with the greasy hair kneeling next to this pile of crushed up cans and practically worshipping it like it's a masterpiece sent from heaven.

Namine, thank God, walks right on past the modern art sculptures and into the traditional art section. For the most part, she shares the same ideas about art as me, with a few exceptions. She'd never put down any artist's work, knowing full well what it's like to be rejected; instead she'll just ignore it and concentrate on the things she likes.

She stops in front of a painting of a pretty little garden with lillies in a pond and a bridge right over it.

"It looks like a Monet painting." she comments, clearly trying to strike up an intellectual conversation.

"Monet. Right." I'm really not the right person for this, but I decide to pretend like I am anyways.

"I like the greens and the blues. It's obvious that she was inspired by the original, but she has her own twist on it, like, 'Yeah this is a knockoff of a famous masterpiece, but I made it my own,' you know?"

"Yeah, exactly." I humor her, having no idea what she's talking about.

"Actually," pipes up a male voice from behind me. "She _did _makeshift that after the Monet painting. It's not exact, but there's just a strong enough resemblance to catch it. You must really know your art."

Namine smiles brightly. To her, theres nothing better than being complimented about something pertaining to art.

"In fact, if you liked this, there's a few more in the series. They're down that hall over there, I can show you if you'd like..." He pauses, as if suddenly remembering something. "By the way, I organized this event, if you were wondering why I know this stuff."

"I'd love to go! Roxas, do you want to come?"

_And listen to tour guide's poor attempts to flirt with you? No, thanks._

"Nah, there's a painting that caught my eye over there. I think I'm going to check it out, you have fun. I'll see you when you're done looking around."

She nods and takes off to the hall where the guy directed her to.

There isn't really a painting that caught my eye at all. Instead, I decide to aimlessly wander around the modern art section which I loathe so much, just for the hell of it.

Nothing really interests me until I reach a pile of trash flowing out of a porcelain tea kettle. There are papers, food wrappers, and other useless objects glued together like a fountain coming out of the spout. I think I spot an old toothbrush thrown in there somewhere, along with the remnants of what looks like a used condom. Sick.

There are two people next to me, and one of them is practically having an orgasm at the sight of it. "It's clearly meant to show to people what society has become. I mean, the trash represents life, obviously, and how we as a culture..."

They finally move on just as I hear a snort behind me. There's a guy there, and his eyes are following the couple. Then I make eye contact with him, and raise an eyebrow.

"What do you think of it, then?" I ask.

"I think that's complete bullshit. This is the ugliest piece of shit I have ever seen in my life. I could vomit something better than this."

I try not to laugh at the guy's vulgarity and let him continue.

"I mean, when did something like this become art? A three-year-old could do it. And don't give me that society bullshit. This is just a poor excuse for art."

I still don't say anything, wondering if he's gotten all of his supressed anger out.

"Sorry about that." he smiles, and I actually look at him instead of just a quick glance. The first thing I notice are his bright, bright green eyes, even though they're hidden behind a pair of rectangular glasses. And just below each eye is a strange black tattoo, almost in the shape of a diamond. He's got a brown corduroy coat on, and plain jeans though there's some kind of stain on them, probably coffee. There's a messenger bag slung around his shoulder and he's got some kind of brown boots on. And the last thing I notice is the most noticeable thing about him, ironically. He's got red spiky hair, but it's not too bright as to be obnoxious.

"Anyways, what do you think about it?"

"I'm the artist." I say with a mock glare at him as soon as the idea enters my head.

He pales slightly, then looks a bit flustered. "Oh, I'm sorry, I. I just--"

I start laughing, and even though I intended to go on with the joke a bit longer, I can't help it.

"No, I'm kidding, totally. But the look on your face- priceless, man."

He relaxes visibly, and I break into another smile. "Actually, I agree with about everything you said."

"Good, I was a bit worried there for a second. How the hell would I have gotten out of that?"

I just smile some more. "So, are you an artist or just an observer?" I ask.

"Tonight? Observer."

"But on any other night, you're an artist?" I inquire, a bit confused by his wording.

"Well, not exactly. I'd like to be."

"You sure look the part." I say, nodding to his attire. "You've got the whole indie, tortured soul look down pat."

He grimaces down at his outfit. "You have to dress like this if you're an artist who comes here, man. Otherwise you don't stand a chance."

I look around, and for the first time I notice that just about everyone looks the same, save a few people (myself included).

"I take it you're not an artist. Otherwise, you'd probably know this."

"Not at all. I came here with my girlfriend, though I have no idea where she went..."

Something changes in his face slightly, though he continues as normal. "Do you have any interest in art at all, then?"

"Not really. I mean, I like it, but it's not a main interest of mine. My girlfriend's an art student at DI, so I'm dragged to these things often. I don't mind it because it can be interesting, but... I have a lot of opinions about art in general that most of these people probably wouldn't like to hear."

"Kind of like my rant earlier?"

I smile. "Something like that, yeah. I think a lot of art is... pretentious and fake. Like it has to fit this certain criteria, otherwise it's no good."

"I respect that. I like art, but stuff like this here..." he gestures to the trash thing, "stuff like this, I just don't get. I'm more into realism. Portraits, actually. It's about all I can do."

"People or landscapes?"

"Both. Still lifes as well. Anything I can see; I'm not creative enough to make my own things. Not yet, anyways."

I'm just starting to get into the conversation, when "Roxas! There you are."

Namine is bounding over to me, her blonde hair all in her face in excitement. "I had so much fun! Some of the paintings were really good. Anyways, are you ready to go?"

I don't know what it is, but I study Namine differently than the last time I saw her a few minutes ago. I'm not sure what I'm looking for. All I know is, thank God Namine doesn't dress like those indie friends she hangs out with, or I'd look like the biggest hypocrite on the face of the Earth.

I then look over at Axel, who's smiling close-lipped at Namine.

"Yeah, just a sec." I get up to follow Namine, who's already on her way towards the door. "Um. It was nice meeting you.."

"Axel." he says, standing up as well and sticking his hand out.

"Roxas." I say back. "Well, see you around, then..." I say awkwardly.

"Yeah." he says, and I turn around to follow Namine.

When I reach to doors, something makes me look back, though I don't know what it is. I'm half expecting to see Axel staring after me, standing in the same spot as he was when I left a few seconds ago. It takes a moment or two to register in my mind, but I soon realize that what I feel when I see that he's not there anymore, that feeling... is called disappointment.

- - -

Authors notes will always be at the bottom, fyi.

First, let me just say this:  
I NEED A BETA!  
If you're interested, contact me. My e-mail is on my profile page.

Anyways, storywise... comments? thoughts? absolutely hate it?  
Updates will be ABOUT every 2 weeks, but keep in mind that life tends to hold a higher priority over writing.

Until next time...  
anobscureflaw


	2. I hadn't built up my defenses

**A Minor Incident**  
_anobscureflaw_

Chapter 2  
_I hadn't built up my defenses_

- - -

The days following my birthday were pretty uneventful, much like the rest of my life. Once the weekend was over, I slipped back into my regular schedule: school, homework, food, and occasionally, sleep. Somewhere in between would fall my few hours dedicated to social activities, namely spending a bit of time with Namine or my other friends.

On Thursdays I only have one class, and it's at nine in the morning. After that one class, I'm free for the day to do whatever I want. Thursdays are usually pretty boring. I finish my homework by eleven then have nothing else to do for the rest of the day, seeing as most other people have classes to attend.

Noon rolled around, and I realized that if I didn't make an attempt to cure my boredom, I'd likely go crazy. So, against my instincts, I shut my laptop and pulled my phone out of my back pocket.

Rrrringgg. Rrrringggg.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sora, it's Roxas."

"Oh hey! What's up?"

"Just wondering if you're doing anything. I'm kinda bored..."

"Say no more! Me and Riku are at the beach, along with some more of the guys. Kairi's here as well. Wanna come?"

I hesitated but went against my instincts. "Sure. I'll be there in an hour."

"Okay, see you then."

We both hung up. I don't know why I decided to call Sora, of all people. Probably because I haven't really seen him all week, at least since ditching him at the club on my birthday.

He didn't even ask where I went. Honestly, I don't think he even noticed.

Nevertheless, I slipped some jeans over my boxers - nothing like watching TV in just your underwear - and I changed into a t-shirt. Then I grabbed my cell phone off of the bed where I put it after talking to Sora, and picked my wallet off of my desk.

Strolling out of the dorm, I walked down the street where the bus stop was. I left my car at my parents' house, as everything on campus is within walking distance and it seems like a waste to buy a parking space if you're never really going to use your car all that much. Still, there were times like these where a car would be useful. Oh well.

I scanned the schedule and noticed that the next bus wasn't due till twelve fifteen, and it was eleven thirty. No way in hell was I going to wait for forty-five minutes just to catch a bus. I zipped open my wallet, hoping that I had enough cash to catch a cab. One dollar, two dollars- ah, there it is. A crisp twenty dollar bill, ready to be spent.

I walked back to the front of my dorm, since for some reason taxis tend to congregate there. They probably wait for the college kids, most of whom don't have cars, to hail them for a ride. It's kind of creepy, actually. You'll look out the window and there'll be two or three cabs just sitting there, waiting, like a lion hunting prey. No, really.

Except just my luck, there's none there today. Probably because it's not even noon on a Thursday, but whatever. I was still pretty miffed because I really didn't want to walk there.

I was tempted to just call Sora and tell him I couldn't make it, but instead resigned to my fate and began the trek, following the sidewalk on the side of the road. I couldn't have been walking more than a couple of minutes when sure enough, I turned my head and there was a highlighter yellow car making its way down the road. I waved my arm frantically, idiotically, and it pulled over albeit a bit reluctantly.

Because really, who wants to be stuck in a car with a complete lunatic?  
That's right. Nobody. Except pedophiles.

I opened the door and jumped in there without really looking.

"Where are you-- Hey... don't I know you?"

I finally turn my head and it takes a second to place him, but then I recognize him as the guy at the art museum that I met on my birthday. Same deep green eyes, same red hair. Still the glasses, but he's just wearing jeans and a black t-shirt instead of the hippie gear I saw him in last time.

"Axel, right?"

"Yeah. Roxas."

"Yeah."

A bit of an awkward silence followed, but isn't that expected when you're in an enclosed space with someone you know but don't really know?

"That was quite a wave you gave me... I can't say I've ever seen someone hail a cab like that."

He was grinning a sadistic little smirk, with his teeth barely showing and his mouth pulled up higher on one side than the other. I can't say I had ever seen one like it before, or one that I really noticed. Namine was never one to smirk, whenever she teased she just smiled big and bright. They were two completely different smiles.

I'm pretty sure my cheeks tinged pink a bit, though I can't say for sure.

"Er... I really wanted a ride. I didn't want to walk all the way to the beach..."

"So you're headed to the beach, then? Northside or Southside?"

"South." He did a quick u-turn as he was going North instead, since I hadn't told him where I was headed till just now. There was some more silence, and I felt the need to fill it up. "I just got out of class, and I'm meeting up with some friends there."

"Ah, college kid lounging about, doing as he pleases. That's the life, isn't it?"

"I suppose so."

"I wouldn't know." He said, but without a trace of self pity. It was more like a fact than a cry for sympathy.

"Really? So you're not in college...?"

"Couldn't afford it. I never was one for academics, and my family just couldn't pay full tuition without scholarships. I probably could have done the community college route, but that just wasn't for me." Axel said, as I fidgeted with a growing hole in the knee of my jeans.

"Oh... I'm s-"

"Don't say it. I'm not asking for pity or anything, I've just always wondered what it'd be like to be a typical college student." We passed a few apartment buildings in the downtown, more artsy part of town. 'Love Freely' was spray-painted on one of the brick walls. I stared at it till it passed.

"So... what do you do, then?" I asked, genuinely curious.

He snorted slightly. "I drive taxis to pay for my shitty apartment." His face softened a bit though. "It's not so bad I guess. I get to meet some interesting people, and I like driving... I have some kickass CD's that I play, but I have to turn them off when I pick someone up. But as soon as they're gone I pop it right back in."

"So put one back in, then."

"Er, alright. Hey, hold the wheel real quick." I extended my left arm while he grabbed under the seat for a CD sleeve. "What kind of music? I've got lots."

"Whatever says the most about you." I decided without hesitation.

He mulled over it for a second before pulling out a blank one and inserting it into the player. He skipped forward to song number thirteen, and a soft piano began to play.

I listened for about a minute, waiting for the words to start, but they never did.

Honestly, this wasn't what I had expected at all. I was anticipating some rock or indie music, since that seems like the type he'd be into.

"Not what you expected, right?" He asked with that smirk yet again, as if reading my mind.

"No... but it's nice, actually. What is it?" It really was nice; I wasn't lying. It was solely a piano, and the piece seemed to have a lot of emotion in it, like the pianist was just letting go completely. I can't say I know much about music or pianos for that matter, but it also seemed like a higher level of skill as well.

"It's me." I looked at him questioningly, and he continued. "Last year for my birthday my brother decided to get me a session in his friend's home recording studio-type thing. I've been playing for a few years, and I compose my own stuff sometimes too. I recorded this entire thing... it's sixteen tracks. Mostly improved, too."

I was really impressed. "I would have pegged you more for a guitar type of guy."

He grinned. "That's what they all say. I guess I'm just full of surprises."

I smiled back. "So is this track your favorite, then?"

He nodded. "Yeah... I recorded the CD in two separate sessions. Tracks thirteen to sixteen were recorded after... something happened." He seemed to zone out for just a second, but regained focus right away. "So thirteen was the first one that day, and I just completely... let go. Played as it came. It's my best piece."

"It's amazing."

"Thanks." He said, appearing genuinely pleased with the compliment.

We drove for the next couple of minutes in silence, both of us letting the music sink in and enjoying the scenery. Destiny Islands was beautiful, there was no denying it. You could tell the beach was getting closer by the seagulls flying over the buildings. The scent of salt in the air. Parking signs for the boardwalk. People walking down the sidewalks, skateboarding, biking, walking their dogs. A completely picturesque sight.

I noticed that the tension was pretty much gone. Conversation with Axel was easy, it just... flowed. I didn't even realize that we would be approaching the beach in just a few minutes, until my phone rang.

Rrrringggg. Rrri-

I looked at caller ID and noticed it was Kairi.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Roxas, it's Kairi."

"Hey, Kairi. What's up?"

"Sora told me to call. Change of plans. The guys got tired of playing volleyball, they're headed to Tommy's for lunch. But after that, we're going to head back to the beach to swim. So depending on where you are..."

"Actually I'm almost there. So should I just meet you at the diner, then?"

"Sounds good. See you in a few."

"Okay, bye."

I looked over at Axel, looking him in the face fully. His eyebrows were raised questioningly.

"Er, actually, can you drop me off at Tommy's Diner, instead? It's at-"

"Fifth street and Destiny Drive. That's one of my favorite places to eat." Instead of going straight, which was the way to the beach, he took a left onto a side street I've never been down. It must be a shortcut, or something.

"Yeah, it's pretty good." I looked out the window again for lack of anything better to do. Axel remained focused on driving, though I noticed that he occasionally glanced over at me every now and then. A thought occurred to me when I caught his eye during the last of those glances.

"Hey, I thought you said those glasses were part of your indie gear for when you go to art galleries?"

He grinned again, something I noticed he did quite a bit. "The clothes, yeah those were specially for galleries. The glasses, though, I have to wear when I'm driving. I've got pretty shitty vision. If I get pulled over without wearing them, I can get a ticket. It says 'must wear corrective lenses' on my license, and I really can't afford a ticket right now." He seemed to notice he was rambling a bit. "So, in short, I only wear them when I drive."

"Oh, alright then... and what about those tattoos?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" He seemed a bit irked, and I realized it must be a bit of a sensitive subject.

"Sorry..." I said meekly, shrinking in my seat a bit. I didn't do too well with people getting upset with me.

"It's alright, kiddo." Axel said, getting back into his normal mood again.

"_Kiddo_?" "Yeah. You're what, fourteen?" He smirked.

Indignant, I cried out, "Eighteen, actually!"

"Could have fooled me." He raised an eyebrow, then let it drop. "Nah, just kidding. You don't look _that _young. I think it's your naivety."

"Who said I was naive?"

"You can just tell. You haven't lived."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, a bit offended. But at the same time I was curious by what he meant.

"You'll learn soon enough" He said mysteriously, as if he knew everything the world had to offer. I narrowed my eyes. Honestly, this might be a bit arrogant of me, but I had never before been told I didn't know anything. I was used to being praised on being smart, on being well informed.

"Oh, so then you know _everything_, Oh Enlightened One?"

He snorted. "Oh Enlightened One. I like that."

"You didn't answer the question."

He glanced in his rear view window before answering. "No, I don't. But one thing's for sure, I've lived a hell of a lot more than you."

I still didn't really know what he meant at all, but I decided to just let it go, as Tommy's was approaching.

I remained silent as he pulled into the rather small parking lot and began looking for a space. Finally finding one, he pulled in swiftly. We faced right towards the front of the small, brightly colored diner with the light flickering in the second 'm' of 'Tommy's Diner.'

"Well... here we are." He said, stating the obvious.

I glanced at the meter and saw that it read fourteen dollars and fifty three cents. I grabbed the twenty out of my wallet and handed it to him. "Keep the change." I said.

"Nah, it's on me."

"No, you wasted a lot of gas running me all over town. It's pretty expensive now a days, too. Just take it."

"Really, keep it." "If you don't take it I'm going to throw it in the street."

He raised an eyebrow, accepting the challenge. "Be my guest."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Fine, whatever."

He seemed proud of his success. "So, I'll see you later, then?" "Yeah, I suppose... hey, you don't want to come, do you? It'll be on me."

I asked as the idea hit me. I don't know why I didn't offer before.

He sighed. "Can't. Got an apartment to pay for."

"Oh, right. Well-"

"But I do get off later tonight, if you want to do something..." Axel interrupted, looking hopeful. I smiled.

"Yeah, that'd be nice."

"Okay, I'll pick you up at nine... where do you live?"

"Blade Hall. Do you know where it is?" He combed a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I do. It's pretty close to my apartment, actually."

"Okay, well, see you then." I made to get out of the car, but swivelled back in my seat so I was facing him yet again. "And Axel?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you make me a copy of this CD?"

He smiled, not a smirk but an actual smile. "Yeah, sure. Actually, you know what- I'll give you this copy, I've got more at home." He pushed the eject button and reached under his seat again to find the case, his head almost touching the steering wheel. While he was distracted, I decided to take advantage of the moment, and I quickly shoved the dollar bill into his wallet which was resting in a cup holder. When he came back up, CD case in hand, I still had a clever smile on my face.

"What'd you do?" Axel asked, narrowing his eyebrows.

"Nothing." I said immaturely. He rolled his eyes playfully. "Here you go, _kiddo_."

I just smiled, not taking offense, and took the CD. "Thanks." I said genuinely.

"No problem."

This time I fully got out of the car, but once I was out I put my hand on the door and leaned back in the car. "So see you at nine?"

"Yeah. I won't be in the taxi though, so don't bother looking for it. You'll know it's me though."

"Er, alright. See you then."

He nodded and I shut the door. I walked the few steps into Tommy's and didn't look back until I was completely in the restaurant; knowing he wouldn't be able to see me but I could see him. He was already beginning to pull out of the parking space.

"Hey, Roxas, over here!"

I looked over towards the direction of the voice and found Riku motioning towards me. Him and the rest of the gang were piled together in a corner booth, and I walked over and slid on the end next to Kairi.

"Finally, man. What took so long?" Tidus asked.

"Er, it took a while to catch a cab."

"We ordered for you. The usual, right?" Kairi asked sweetly, as usual.

I nodded.

Just then, my phone vibrated and I pulled it out of my back pocket. I checked the screen and it lit up, saying "1 New Voicemail."

I didn't remember getting any calls. Instead of checking the voicemail I just went to my missed calls list and found that it was Namine.

I didn't notice Kairi was watching me until I was already putting away my phone. "Aren't you going to call her back?" she asked.

"Yeah, I will later." I said nonchalantly.

She knitted her eyebrows together slightly, looking confused. "Is something wrong, Roxas?"

I was actually a bit surprised at this comment. "No, not at all. Why?"

"You seem a bit out of it... Normally, you'd-" She seemed to change her mind in the middle of the sentence. "Never mind."

"Alright, then..." I was pretty confused as well. I didn't think I was acting strange at all.

"Hey, Roxas, where'd you disappear that night?"

I looked up to find Sora talking to me. I didn't expect him to even notice I was gone, but I guess I underestimate him sometimes.

"Oh, I had to go. Something came up."

"Well you missed a good time." Riku added.

"Yeah, I wish I could have stayed." I said with a bit of sarcasm, though only Kairi seemed to notice if her slight laugh was any indication. She knew I wasn't one for clubbing.

Our food arrived and we ate uneventfully, unless you include Tidus spilling his drink as he seemed to do quite often, or Sora squeezing the ketchup bottle too hard and it flying everywhere. Throughout the meal, Kairi kept glancing at me but I pretended not to notice.

I didn't really concentrate on my food or even really think about Namine. My thoughts were elsewhere, on someone else.

- - -

Sorry this took so long! I got really busy with AP tests and just life in general. I'm pretty much done now though, so that means updates more often. And if any of you are reading _Soft Revolution_, my apologies. I'm still figuring out where I want to go with it, and therefore the chapter is taking longer than expected. It's being written, though, and should be out within a few days.

Many thanks to my beta, Riku Of Twilight!

Reviews make me quite happy! Not to mention they make me want to write faster :)

Until next time...  
anobscureflaw


	3. So I gave my heart completely

**A Minor Incident**  
_anobscureflaw_

Chapter 3  
_So I gave my heart completely_

_- - -_

You know, I've never really cared much about the way I look. I figured that I got what I got (as far as looks go) and I couldn't change anything, so there was no point fretting over it. I figured that I had a pretty girlfriend, so I was okay. And I never got teased or anything in school, so obviously there wasn't anything too freakish about the way I looked.

So it's funny to me that when I got home from Tommy's, I looked in the mirror for a good long time. Probably the first time I've really _looked _at myself in a while_- _usually it's just a quick glance, a quick reassurance that there aren't any stains on my shirt or my hair isn't too dirty.

There really wasn't anything too stunning to look at. My blond hair kinda sticks up on one side and I've got blue eyes. I'm kind of on the shorter side. Nothing too unusual there.

The only thing that I really like about my appearance- the only thing worth noting- is the small scar above my left eyebrow. I've had it since I was a kid- I don't even remember the story all that much, just what I've been told. Apparently I was swinging on the swings at the park and my cousin (real devil of a child!) flipped me. I fell smack on my face and a woodchip dug right into the skin above my eyebrow. The scar is actually pretty faint, as I never even needed stitches. Not only that, but my hair covers it most of the time. In fact, you can barely even see it when the hair's not there- usually people think it's a trick of the light. I guess I'm lucky in that sense; it's not a huge disfiguration or anything. Just a unique little story to tell people, if not a bit boring.

I was still staring in the mirror in my dorm room when my phone rang.

_Rrrringggg. Rrrringgg. Rrrriiiinggggg. Rrrrrrinnnggg._

It kept ringing and I followed the sounds, not quite sure where I had left it last. I found myself listening to ringing bedsheets before realizing that my phone was probably under the comforter. Sure enough, it was there, and I picked it up before it went to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"Hi Roxas."

"Hey Namine, what's up?"

"I was just wondering what you were up to… you didn't answer my calls from earlier."

I felt slightly awkward at that comment and rubbed the back of neck with my hand even though she couldn't see. "Yeah, sorry about that, I completely forgot…"

"No problem, really. I just wanted to make sure everything was alright because you've never done that before." She paused before speaking again. "So… Is everything good?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I actually haven't done much today besides go to lunch…"

"Kairi told me you showed up." She didn't sound accusatory at all, like anybody else would have. She was too nice for that, too trusting. Not that I was doing anything wrong at all. "So anyways, I was just calling to ask if you wanted to come over or something, maybe watch a movie."

"Well, actually… I've got plans."

"…Oh. Alright. I'm tired anyways, I may just head to bed early…" She sounded disappointed, and I decided to quickly remedy it.

"But listen, how about breakfast tomorrow? Both of us don't have morning classes…"

"Sounds good! Just call me or come over around ten… I want to sleep in a bit tomorrow."

I could tell that she was relieved I wasn't completely avoiding her, as I was making an effort to see her.

"Got it. Sleep tight, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight."

_Click._

I glanced at my phone while the screen was still lit up to see that it read 8:52. I decided to head down to the lobby area since Axel probably had no clue which room was mine.

Sure enough, when I got downstairs I saw Axel talking to a dorm assistant.

"Sorry, sir, but I can't give information like that. You can leave a message, but I can't give you anybody's exact room number."

He opened up his mouth to respond but I placed my hand on his shoulder from behind. He turned around and smiled. "Never mind, then. Thanks anyways." He said to the assistant as we began to walk away.

"Ready to go?" He asked me.

"Yeah." I nodded. Still in the same jeans and black t-shirt as earlier, he nodded back. But this time he didn't have the glasses on. "So where are we going?"

"Uh… Honestly I didn't really think about it. Is there anywhere in particular you want to go?" He held open the door of the lobby for me as I walked out.

"Nah…" It was dark outside, and I followed him to the parking lot located behind the dorm.

"Alright then. Have you ever been to 7th Heaven?"

"Uh… no." I said hesitantly, trying to figure out what type of place it could be. I managed to narrow it down to either a strip club or a regular club. Both of which were similar in the fact that girls wore skimpy clothing; the only difference between the clubs were that at a strip club, girls get paid for being skanky.

He laughed slightly. "You look… disturbed."

I rubbed the back of my neck again, which I tended to do when I was nervous. "Well… I don't really like clubbing to be honest."

"Don't worry, it's not a club. It's a bar-- really relaxed, actually. My friend owns it so we can get drinks cheap. I figure we can just hang there for a bit and then if we want to do something else, we can."

I visibly relaxed. "That sounds fine." We were still weaving through cars, but I had no idea which car we were looking for.

"So you know how I said you'd know the car was mine?" Axel asked, an amused look growing on his face.

"Yeah…"

"Well… let's see if you can guess." He pointed to 3 parked cars. "One of those is mine. If you pick right, you get a ride tonight. If you're wrong, I leave your sorry ass behind."

I could feel the bewildered expression on my face, but nevertheless this was a pretty unique idea. Fun and spontaneous. I liked it.

The first car was a brand new Lexus. I instantly ruled it out, as… Axel was a cab driver. Not much else to say there. "The Lexus is out."

He grinned and folded his arms. The streetlight shone above us, almost like this were a gameshow of sorts.

The last 2 cars were… completely different. The first was an old navy blue Volkswagen beetle, complete with broken bumper in the front. The second was a grey soccer-mom minivan.

I was tempted to say the beetle, just because it was so… _Axel_. But then I saw the bumper stickers. 'Meat is Murder' 'Fight for Freedom' and '97.9 the wave.' I knew Axel had to fit certain standards to be taken seriously with his art, but still… this was a bit overboard. If it was his car, he was seriously a hypocrite.

"The minivan." I said decisively.

"Is that your final answer?" He cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly.

"Mmmhmm."

"You, my friend…" He pulled his keys out of his pocket and threw them to me. I barely caught them and fumbled around the various keychains for the car key. I separated it from the others, and…

"You're right!" He said, right as I saw that the key was to a minivan. I tossed the keys back and we started to walk towards the grey van. "As soon as I saw that car I thought of you. And I knew I had to park next to it."

"I gotta say, I wouldn't expect you to have a minivan."

"Aw, why not? It's a great soccer mom car!"

"…And you're a soccer mom?" We separated as he walked towards the driver's seat and I headed towards the passenger side. As soon as we both were in the car again and Axel started the engine, we resumed the conversation.

"I could be." He said randomly, and turned his head to back out, careful not to hit someone or something. "So why'd you not think it was the beetle?"

"I remembered what you said about fitting this 'indie' image… I didn't think you'd conform _that_ much just to be taken seriously. I mean, that was hands down a hipster car. So I figured it was a trick, I guess."

He tapped his temple with his index finger. "Smart kid, you."

"So… why a minivan?"

"Eh, it was my friend's mom's. She didn't want to go through the trouble of selling it back to a dealer, and CarMax is a bitch. So she gave it to me for cheap, and I figured, why the hell not? It was a good deal."

"Makes sense." We started driving through town, both quiet after that. Occasionally someone would say something, but I guess neither of us were the kind of people who talked just to fill silence. Instead we just listened to the music. It was the same CD of Axel playing the piano, and he had it on track 13 again.

A few times I glanced over at him. He was wearing his glasses, since he was driving, but… somehow, his eyes still stood out. That deep green, I had never seen a color like it before.

Ten minutes later, we were downtown. I didn't know where exactly, but the taller buildings and vivid nightlife were a dead giveaway that we were somewhere in the heart of the city.

There were people of all ages walking around. Teenagers in line outside a club, an old couple waiting to be seated at an outdoor restaurant. That was the beauty of city life. Anything goes, really.

Before I knew it, Axel had pulled into a parking spot. A small brick building stood in front of us, but not dingy. The sign read '7th Heaven' and there was an 'OPEN' sign in the window.

Again, Axel opened the door for me. I wasn't sure how to feel about that, but it could have been something he did for everybody- out of habit or something.

It was a typical bar, or at least what I'd imagine one to look like (since I hadn't really ever been in one before.) There were round tables scattered throughout, various decorations on the walls. Dart boards in one corner, a couple of pool tables in another. Then there was the long bar that ran the length of the building. TV sets playing various sports games were also hanging on the walls.

"Welcome to- Hey, Axel!" A woman called from behind the bar to the right. I glanced over, not sure what to expect and saw a pretty, 20-something brown-haired woman.

"Hey, Tifa." Axel motioned for me to follow him and took a seat at the bar, a couple of empty seats standing between him and another guy further down the bar. He patted the seat next to him and I took a seat.

"And who's this?"

"This is-"

"Roxas." I said with a grin. "Nice to meet you."

"And you as well." She smiled back at me and bent over to grab something from under the counter. She came up with a rag and wiped down the counter where we sat.

"Sorry- some really messy guys were just here, didn't get a chance to clean before you sat down…."

"Don't worry about it." Said Axel with a wave.

"So, what do you want?"

"Uh…Give us a sec, okay?" Axel responded, glancing at me.

"Sure! Just call me over when you're ready."

"I forgot you're underage, I just realized that now… I hope you don't feel too awkward. Do you drink?"

"Not really. I mean I have a few times, but…" I said, though I was lying. A sip of beer in high school doesn't really qualify, I didn't think.

"If you don't want to, then you don't have to." Axel said with a slightly worried expression on his face.

"I mean, I kind of want to. Why not, right? I'm not going to get totally wasted or anything."

He grinned. "Alright then. I'll have to order for you, since Tifa feels guilty serving minors- I'll just tell her I want two beers. That alright?"

I nodded.

Two beers landed on the counter in front of us, and I took a gulp and grimaced. Axel eyed me over the top of his drink. "You haven't drinken before."

I wiped my mouth. "Well, not really, to be honest."

He laughed. "Kid," he took a sip of his drink. "You're in for a surprise."

- - -

It had to have been a few hours later, I didn't really know. The time flew by, and a couple of drinks later we somehow ended up in front of Axel's apartment. I was buzzed, though I only had a few drinks—obviously I was a lightweight. Axel only drank the first hour we were there, since he had to sober up to drive home.

The bar was actually fun- Tifa was a laugh, telling us stories about the various guys who came around regularly to ask her out. We played pool, and I was completely terrible and missed the ball a few times due to my drunken stupor. The rest of the time we just talked about school, and life, and sports, and plenty of things inbetween. I guessed it was around midnight when Axel suggested we go somewhere else. Neither of us had any ideas. I was still a little drunk, but somewhere along the line we decided to just go back to his apartment and hang out.

By the time we reached his apartment I had sobered up a bit. Enough to talk normally and remember what happened in the morning.

Honestly, Axel was right when he talked about his apartment- it really was a piece of shit. Not completely uninhabitable, but it was old and dingy. The bricks were dark with dirt and the windows were dirty all the way up. Not that they hadn't been cleaned, they were just… that old. And that was just the outside, I had yet to even see the inside.

We walked straight to the elevator—I'm surprised it actually worked—and he pushed the number eight.

The elevator opened with a _Ding!_ and we walked down the hallway, a musty smell filling my nose. He stopped in front of a door and pulled his set of keys from his back pocket.

"My roommate might be home…" He said, twisting the key in the lock. "Sorry if he is, I'll try to get him to leave."

"Uh, is he that bad?"

"Well… let's just say he's earned the name 'Forecast Frank' from a couple of my friends. He's… on the insane side." The door was unlocked, but we stayed outside in case he was home.

"And… how'd he earn that nickname?"

"You don't want to know."

"Aw, don't say that. You've got me all curious now."

"Alright, but when I'm done, remember you asked me." He leaned against the door, his tattoos more visible than ever in the dim light. I was still curious as to how he got them.

"About a month ago my friend and I worked together as waiters at a restaurant. Anyways we got fired that day- that's another story, for another time- so we came home around noon. I guess he wasn't expecting us, and uh." He took a deep breath as if preparing himself for something epic. "Well when we walked in he was jerking off on the couch. Not _that_ strange, right? I mean he's fresh out of college. That's what guys do. But well, here's the strange thing… When we walked in he didn't even look at us or pull up his pants, he kept staring at the TV. I figured he was watching some really heavy porn or something. But then when we walked over to see what it was… it was the weather channel, dude." He stared at me wide-eyed, as if in disbelief at his own story. "The fucking _weather channel_."

It took me a second before the sheer absurdity of the story hit me, and I started laughing and couldn't stop.

Axel continued over my laughing, this time smiling a bit himself. "And it wasn't even something good, like storm chasers. I mean that I could have understood a little better, like maybe he had a lightning fetish or something. But no, it was the week's _forecast_. Like, all that 'Sunny with a low of 74, and a wind gust of 10!' shit. I kid you not."

This time, Axel exploded in laughter as well and we laughed a good couple of minutes before composing ourselves. Finally we stood up, wiping tears out of our eyes.

"Needless to say I avoid him whenever possible. It was Demyx who came up with the name, though. He refuses to come to my apartment without calling ahead of time to see if Frank is here."

"Demyx?"

"My friend. He's pretty cool, I think you'd like him."

"Cool." I nodded my head.

"Anyways… are you ready to go in?"

I pretended to brace myself. "I… suppose so." I said dramatically.

He put on a serious face. "Well…Here goes nothing."

- - -

Well, obviously I can't make deadlines. Again, I apologize- but I suppose this means to completely ignore the once every 2 weeks rule, as that clearly isn't happening.

So far, it's been moving kind of slow. I think it's better for them to start out as friends, though, which is what I'm trying to do. I don't know if it's working, but... I hope it is? It's either next chapter or the following one that things get moving, so stay tuned!

Sorry for the wait, though. If you find yourself waiting for an update, why not check out my Riku/Sora story _Soft Revolution_? (/shameless plug)

Again, reviews are much appreciated!

Until next time...  
anobscureflaw


	4. Vaseline over the lenses

**A Minor Incident**  
_anobscureflaw_

Chapter 4  
_Vaseline over the lenses_

- - -

The entrance was a bit... anti-climactic, to be honest. I guess I was expecting this Frank guy to be right on the other side of the door, dancing half naked to a six year old Britney Spears tune or something crazy like that. I was wrong – the apartment was empty, and the lights were off.

Axel exhaled a sigh of relief at this discovery. I grinned half-heartedly.

"I'm a bit let down, Axel! I was expecting something dramatic."

He shook his head with a slight smile and fumbled along the wall for the light switch, as we were still in total darkness. Upon finding it, he flicked it with his thumb and the apartment was revealed to me in a burst of light.

The small hallway we were standing in opened to a dining room of sorts, which Axel chose to hold his piano. It was clearly an antique – a bit of a faded black, but not at all dull. The sight of it reminded me of old classic movies, like Casablanca and Breakfast at Tiffany's. It still had that elegance to it that only the old pianos had. That elegance that just isn't in our generation anymore, it's locked up in the past along with the rest of the world's honor.

Axel beamed at the sight of the piano. "This is my baby," he said, walking a few short steps towards it. He sat down at the bench and extended his arms around it as if he were hugging it. "Family heirloom. Worth thousands, but I'll never give her up, not even if I'm completely, utterly broke. God, this piano has gotten me through so much, I swear..." he trailed off.

"You look like a puppy dog in love." I remarked at his doting.

"I am." He responded, still gazing adoringly at his piano. Then he looked up, seemingly breaking out of his love-stricken trance. "So, let me show you the rest of the house- not that there's much to show, but I-"

"Play something for me." I leaned with my right arm on the piano, my hand holding up my head.

"What?"

"Play something." I repeated.

"Don't you want to see the rest of the place?"

"We've got all the time in the world." I sighed lazily as if to prove my point. My mind wasn't focused on time – obviously, if I wasn't still under the influence of alcohol, I would've been much more aware that it was late and I had promised to meet Namine in the morning.

"Well, alright."

And so he began to play. I had no idea what it was, but it was beautiful. His fingers danced across the keys, in their own world, unconscious movements almost. Those green, green eyes were closed, and with nothing else to do, my mind began to wander.

I started thinking about Axel and his life. I really knew nothing about him, but I felt like I could trust him. Felt like that since the moment I met him. It seems like everything you need to know about someone is completely, utterly obvious in the first ten seconds of meeting them- whether you'll like them or not, what kind of person they are. But Axel... _I just can't figure him out. _What _was_ he to me, anyways? A guy I met at a museum? Or a guy I met in a taxi?

Moreover, were we even _friends?_

Then my mind, doing a complete one-eighty, shifted to Namine. Pretty, plain, Namine. She's a good girl. She does everything right, she never messes up. She treats everything and everyone with respect and dignity. God, she'd never hurt a fly- even a cockroach for that matter. She'd stare at it and say, "Oh, that poor thing. Just let it go." And then she'd grab my arm and pull me away from it before I stomp on it, making it mush and guts and brains under my sneakers. Namine, she's _honorable_. And together, we have stability- a perfect relationship built on cupcake compromises and silly sacrifices that don't really matter anyways.

I'm _safe _with Namine. Secure.

_But I can't help but feel like something's missing._

"...as, are you there?"

I open my eyes to find Axel staring at me intently, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. I rub my ear and shift my weight onto my right foot instead of the left, a bit uncomfortable.

"Er, yeah, sorry."

He scrutinizes me a second, studying me with those grass green eyes. I want to ask him what he's thinking but I don't have the courage to. I'm not so sure I even want to know, to be honest.

"...I'll give you a tour of the rest of the place."

"Sure." I nod, backing up a step to give him room to get up from the piano bench.

He stands up and I realize just how _tall_ he really is- he towers over me. He has to look down at me just to talk to me. And suddenly I feel like a little kid. A goddamn nothing kid playing dress up and pretending he's older just so he can hang out with the cool kids and go to all the parties. I feel so small, so _useless_, that I don't know what to do.

But then he smiles at me, like _hey, it's okay_, and it really is okay.

I follow him down the small hallway, where pretty much the rest of the apartment is. It's nothing much. The walls are an off-white all over. There isn't really anything separating the kitchen from the living room, and both rooms are considerably small. The kitchen's got your basics, a fridge and microwave (what more do you really need?), and the living room has a leather sofa with a big screen TV that I figure Axel must have saved up all his money to buy.

Once I notice the basics of the room, I pick up on the details. There isn't really any decorations- okay, none at all. Nothing on the walls save a window with a shitty view of a brick wall and an alleyway below. But besides that, there's trash everywhere- pizza boxes, beer cans, paper plates with crumbs on them. Chip bags on the ground, and it's almost so messy, so typical that if you looked up 'American Dream' in the dictionary, this would be it. This is reality. Right down to the bread crumbs littering the ground.

"... I never said I was a clean kinda guy." Axel says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in apology.

I smile broadly, feeling infinite. This is so different from everything I'm used to – scenic, colonial antique furniture and well-paid actors for family members.

All I wanted was a change. What I found instead was a picturesque fuckup, and I'm loving every minute of it.

"It's perfect."

Axel narrows his eyes in confusion and smiles too, though he's clearly not understanding. But he says "yeah." Like he knows, deep down, that I'm missing something, and I'm getting closer to finding it. He just _knows_.

Then he starts walking down another small hallway right off of the living room.

"On your right- that's the bathroom. Then down there, further on the right, is my room, and across from it and down a little on the left – that's Frank's room. I'd show you around in there, but I like to avoid it when I can."

But I didn't have any interest in Frank's room. It was Axel's room I wanted to see, so I walked ahead of Axel down the hallway, dragging my hand along the wall slightly. When I reached the door, I paused with my door on the knob, allowing Axel a second to tell me not to go in if he didn't want me to.

But I didn't hear any word of protest, so I twisted the brass knob and glanced back at Axel, who was still standing at the end of the hallway, just staring at me. I pushed open the door, felt around for the light switch - _there it is­ – _and turned it on, watching the room fill with light.

Thank you, Thomas Edison. You're a real pal.

If I could use two words to describe Axel's room, they would be sheer mindfuckery. There was no consistent theme throughout. Paintings dominated the walls, but the subjects in each were completely different. There were photographs as well as magazine clippings and tearouts. The only stretches of wall that were not completely covered with some kind of art were the closet doors and the ceilings.

I was mesmerized. None of it made any sense to me, but everything must have meant the world to him, I was sure of it. Each of these little clipouts, these little drawings – Axel must have had a reason for putting each and every single thing up on his wall.

I walked to the opposite wall – where the closet doors were- and inspected a rather big painting of a goldfish, vibrant and alive. Next to it was a photograph of a girl smoking a cigarette and drinking coffee with her gum stuck on the rim of the mug. Then below that was a cheap poster printout of some famous painting- Van Gogh, I think it was. And then next to that was a hand-decorated card that said "Happy 6th Birthday, Axel!" I was about to untack it off of the wall and open it, when a voice from behind startled me.

"What do you think?"

I jumped slightly, not knowing anybody was watching me. I turned and sure enough, there was Axel, leaning on to doorframe, his arms and ankles crossed.

"It's... its really great." I walked over to the bed, which was one of the few pieces of furniture other than the nightstand and easel in the corner. The bed sat low on the ground compared to most beds, but it was pretty big- probably a full or queen, I'm guessing. The sheets were red and the pillows black. It had a pretty cool effect with the colors all over the walls and the wooden floors.

Above the bed were more pieces of art that I began to look at. Right in the center, no more than a foot or so above the headboard, was a light pencil sketch of a guy sitting on some steps of a brick building. He was laughing like it was the most natural thing in the world, his arms crossed with a cigarette hanging between his finger tips.

I looked even further up and right above the sketch was a small 4 by 6 photograph with the exact same sketch of the drawing below it. The sketch did a good job of capturing the mood of the photograph, but with less detail. Studying the photograph, I could tell that it was winter... and that this guy had the iciest grey-blue eyes I had ever seen. His longish dark hair matched the slightly somber mood. Simply put, he was handsome- even with a large scar running diagonally between his eyes and marring his beautiful features.

I was running my finger along the worn tape that held up the picture. It almost wasn't sticky anymore- like it had been taken off and put back many times, and the hold was wearing off.

"Hey... who's this?" I asked

Axel moved towards the bed and took a look at the picture. After a moment, he laid down on the bed and rolled to his side with his eyes closed.

"...An old friend." He responded, voice quiet.

I decided not to breach the subject any longer and studied the rest of the room. It took a good hour or so to look at each individual piece of art, but it was well worth it. The paintings and drawings were fantastic, and I noted that most of them were of people or some kind of scenery. But none of them had the... _emotional attachment_ of the haunting sketch above Axel's bed.

"Axel?" I asked tentatively. He had remained silent the entire time.

No response. He must be asleep.

Done inspecting the room, I began to walk out. As I stood in the doorway I looked at the slumbering Axel, wasting away in dreamland, and turned out the lights, engulfing his figure in total darkness.

I wasn't yet tired. Not enough to sleep, anyways. I walked back out to the living room and sat down on the couch, turning on the TV. Nothing was on except for commercials.

_And at only 6 payments of $19.95, this suction packed vacuum is quite the steal! Equipped with – _Click.

_Hungry for a late night burger run? Well you're in luck; we're open 24 hours at our location down on Eighth Street -_ mm, burgers. Click.

_Outrageous! Wild! _Barely legal_ Yes, it's the Girls Gone Wild Spring Break edition! All gorgeous, and all yours for – _Click.

What time was it, anyways? I pulled out my phone and pushed a random button to light up the screen – 2:52 am. Ah, that'd be why there's nothing on.

Without anything better to do, I got up and picked up a beer can, tossing it into the trash can (which sat barely used in a corner of the kitchen. The floor seemed to serve as a better trash can). Then I did it with another.

After that, I decided to just go ahead and clean up the whole apartment. It took a while to find the cleaning equipment. The sponges and sprays I found underneath the bathroom counter. I found a broom in the kitchen pantry, along with extra trash bags, which I would certainly be needing.

First I cleaned up all the used stuff- the cans, the boxes, the plates. I even lifted the couch and found (unsurprisingly) a collection of dust, food, and what I think may have possibly been a dead, decomposed rat. Nevertheless, I swept it up. Then followed the newly swept floor with a mop. I scrubbed dirt off the walls. I wiped the kitchen counters. They were actually a nice tile underneath that layer of grime.

_You know, this place isn't as much of a dump as I originally thought._ It's actually pretty nice. Probably worth a bit. The chandelier over the piano in the dining room (which I dusted to perfection) was dated 1937- must be worth a fortune by now. _Axel should really take better care of this place._

Finally, I was finished. I put all of the supplies back in their respective spots and admired my handiwork. I grabbed at my cell phone, which was beeping madly, about to die of lack of battery. I didn't care though, my eyes hardly staying open any longer.

5:06 am., the screen blinked before it went out for good. Time to go to bed.

I turned off the lights and felt for the couch like a blind man. Upon finding it, I settled down into a comfortable position, inhaling the fresh, clean, citrusy scent of lemon as I fell into a slumber.

- - -

Something was poking my left rib.

"Roxassssss."

"Mmrnngh."

"Roxy poo!"

I swatted at air with my left arm, flailing a bit wildly, and buried my face deeper into the depths of the leather couch.

My awaker seemed to get that I wanted to be left alone, and I fell back into a light sleep for a few seconds- until I suddenly found myself being lifted off of the couch.

And being the spaz I am, I promptly managed to somehow fall in a lump on the ground.

"Ow!"

"Hey, it's not my fault! You spazzed out."

I rubbed my ass, sure that there'd be a bruise tomorrow. "Owwwww. What'd you wake me up for anyways?" I asked from my spot still on the ground.

Axel extended a hand to help me up. He was already dressed, showered and everything. "I'm guessing you cleaned my apartment last night, my little French maid?"

I blushed, feeling like an idiot. _Why _exactly did I clean his apartment last night? "... I wasn't tired. And I was drunk."

He grinned that infectious smile. "Not that I'm complaining! It looks great... I didn't even know this wreck cleaned up this well. Thanks."

I nodded.

"I do have one question though."

I raised my eyebrows and moved over to the kitchen counter, leaning on it.

"Next time, will you wear the whole outfit? Ya know, the short little dress and apron, fishnets, high heels?"

I blushed even brighter than before "Axel!"

"Oh, and the feather duster! Can't forget that, no sir. Yeah, just give me a call when you're in a cleaning mood again, I'll have the outfit ready and waiting for you."

I finally broke out laughing and nodded my head from side to side. "You're crazy."

"I never said I wasn't."

I looked to the side and saw a glass of water with two little pills next to it.

"That's for you, I figured you'd have a bit of a headache."

I sighed. "Yeah, it's not too bad... thanks, Axel, you're a lifesaver."

"You look a right wreck, to be honest. You want a shower?"

"Sure. Sounds great, actually."

He moved towards the bathroom. "There are towels in the closet there, and shampoo and stuff's already in there."

"Aren't you just quite the host."

He laughed. "I guess I have motherly tendencies?"

"Something like that, yeah." I smiled and headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.

- - -

About ten minutes later, I emerged cleaner and refreshed.

Axel was sitting on the couch, watching the news. "You know, I had this kind of... fear that you'd wake up and regret ever talking to me or something. You'd suddenly realize that I was a total weirdo and just... never speak to me again."

I furrowed my eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

He continued staring at the TV, not once looking at me. "It's happened before."

"With people you've just met?"

"No, actually. With people I've known my whole life."

I didn't know what to say. Should I push the subject further, or just let it go? Ultimately, I decided to let it go, for lack of anything to say on the matter.

"What time is it, anyways?" I asked.

"Um..." he fumbled for his cell phone in his pocket. "Ten-thirty."

And suddenly, I remembered. The color must have drained out of my face, for Axel noticed that something was wrong.

"What?"

"I... promised someone I'd meet them this morning... _shit_." I said.

A funny look came over his face, though if you asked I couldn't explain it. "Girlfriend?"

"I, um... yeah." I rushed over to my phone where it lay on the counter, and realized it had died late last night. "What kind of phone do you have?"

"Samsung, why?"

"Can I borrow the charger really fast? I just need enough to check my phone..."

"Yeah, sure." Axel said with what was clearly a forced smile. He didn't sound that happy.

He went to his bedroom and came back a few seconds later with the charger in hand. I smiled in thanks and plugged my phone in, turning it on.

After the little intro theme song, I was alerted that I had 4 missed calls as well as 1 new voicemail. Sure enough, all of the calls were from Namine. The first one was at 7:02 and the last at 7:53.

Guilt took over as I dialed my voicemail. I entered the password, then waited to hear the inevitable message.

"_Hey, Roxas, it's Namine. I... I guess you're not coming. It's not a big deal, though I wish you would have called. I'm worried, actually... usually you're not one to not show. Are you alright? If you get this, call me back so that I know you're fine. I'm not mad, don't worry. I just want to make sure you're okay. Okay... bye_."

I shut the phone, feeling like I didn't deserve someone as amazing as her. Any other person would be furious that they were stood up. But not Namine. All she cares about is my well being.

Guilt lapped at me from both sides. One was ditching Namine, the other was that now I was ditching Axel. I turned around, where he was watching me with a... look on his face. I couldn't describe it.

"You have to go?"

"...Yeah. I was supposed to be somewhere this morning, but I forgot."

"No problem." He walked around me into the kitchen. "I shouldn't have kept you out so late anyways, let alone bring you back here."

I smiled, not knowing what else to do. "Hey, I let you kidnap me." I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

It seemed to work. "Thanks again for cleaning up the place."

"Don't worry about it. Even I don't know what I was thinking."

He opened a drawer and rummaged around before pulling out a napkin and scribbling something down on it. "This is my cell phone number... call me if you want to hang out again." He said.

I looked at it as he gave it to me and put it in my pocket.

"Well... bye then."

"See you later."

I nodded and walked down the hallway towards the front door. As soon as I opened it I paused, turning around to ask Axel a question. I found that he was watching me leave. "Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?" He tilted his head to one side, arms crossed. His green eyes studied me intently.

"All those paintings and drawings- you did those?"

"Yeah. Did you like them?"

I nodded. "They're amazing. You're great."

He seemed to beam. "Thanks... that means a lot. But we can talk about art another time, you get going."

I laughed. "Always the mother, you are." I said, and gave him one last nod before walking completely out the door, letting it swing shut behind me.

- - -

Um... dodges tomatos Yikes. Over four months. I'm not even going to _bother_ making an excuse this time. Except for that I suck. Sorry about that.

But anyways, I'm hoping that I'm getting back into writing. This chapter was fun for me (as well as good therapy!). Mostly description more than dialogue, but it sets up the plot, which I have almost figured out completely. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and maybe if you're lucky I'll get the next one out relatively soon :)

Like it? Hate it? Tell me in a review.

Until next time...  
anobscureflaw


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